This invention relates to a connector cover for mounting on a wire lead-out portion of a connector housing.
For connecting a terminal of a relay used in a vehicle, for example, to a relay circuit, it is a common practice to use a connector. In this case, the connector is required to be of a drip-proof construction if the relay is installed in an engine room, although such a construction is not necessary if the relay is installed in a compartment of the vehicle.
There has heretofore been provided such a drip-proof construction in which a grommet of rubber is fitted on a relay and a connector connected to this relay. In this construction, however,.the following procedure must be adopted when the connector is to be connected. Namely, before connecting the connector, the grommet is first fitted on the relay to be held in intimate contact therewith. Then, a skirt portion of the grommet is turned or folded back to expose a connector portion of the relay, and the connecter is inserted into and connected to this connector portion. Thereafter, the skirt portion of the grommet is returned to fit on the connector. Since the connector is thus connected by fitting and folding the grommet, this operation requires time and labor, which results in a drawback that the efficiency of the operation is very low.
There has been proposed a construction shown in FIG. 4 which is aimed at improving the .above construction. In this construction, a cover 2 is attached to a rear end portion of a connector housing 1 to cover a wire lead-out portion of the connector housing 1. The cover 2 is basically of a hollow tubular construction, and a wire introducing opening 4 for introducing electric wires 3, led out from the connector housing 1, from the side of the cover 2 is formed in one side surface of the cover 2. A closure tongue 5 for covering the wire introducing opening 4 in the cover 2 is formed on and extends from the connector housing 1. When the cover 2 is fitted in the connector housing 1 from the rear side of the connector housing, the closure tongue 5 is guided by a guide piece 6, and closes the wire introducing opening 4. Engagement projections 7 for maintaining the condition of attachment of the cover 2 to the connector housing 1 are formed on the connector housing 1. Lock pieces 8 for engaging respectively with these engagement projections are formed on the cover 2. Formed on and projected from the front side of the cover 2 are retaining projections 9 which serve to force terminals (not shown), provided within the connector housing 1, into respective proper mounting positions.
Where the relay is installed not in an engine room but in a vehicle compartment, the above connector does not need to be of a drip-proof construction, and the cover 2 does not need to be attached. However, in the above conventional cover-and-connector construction, the closure tongue 5 is projected from the rear end of the connector housing 1, and therefore when this connector housing 1 is used without the cover 2, the closure tongue 5 is obstructive, and limits the position of installation of the relay. Therefore, conventionally, two kinds of connector housings have been prepared depending on whether or not the cover 2 is attached. When the cover is to be attached, the connector housing 1 shown in FIG. 4 is fitted in a relay. When the cover is not to be attached, the type of connector housing without the closure tongue 5 is fitted in a relay. With this system, however, two kinds of connector housings are needed, which raises a problem that a stock control of parts is cumbersome.